1026 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



SI I ,AR MAl'I.i: MIC II r 

 llic\cl(.- an.l sulky \\l,ei_l rims maiie tjl sugar riiapk-, XiiieLy 



of this instrument considers the stick of curly or smoky 

 maple, which reaches his hands as raw material, the fittest 

 medium fur the display of his genius and for the inter- 

 pretation I if his ideas. 



wonnENW.XRt; 



The term woodenware is \'ery broad, and its boundaries 

 are vaguely defined. It includes most everything made 

 of wood which does not specifically belong somewhere 

 else. It is commonly understood to include vvrjoden sup- 

 plies and aijparatus used by beekeepers, poultry raisers 

 and dairymen, and also nearly all sorts of wuodeii novel- 

 ties. ^Tore than ;:iS,0(iO,tM)(i feel of maple reaches its final 

 use yearly as woodenware in the United States. It is 

 impracticable to name e\'en by classes, the articles which 

 owe their existence to this remarkalile wood ; but one of 

 the smallest, and at the same time the most ephemeral, 

 is doubtless the most important. 



This is the picnic platter. It is a thin, wooden plate 

 with which nearly e\ery one is familiar. Its uses are 

 many, but all are temporary. It is ex])ecled to serve 

 only once, .and ffir that once the grocer may sell butter 

 in it, the butcher m.iv wrap sausage in it, the baker's 

 pie is carried in it tn ihe customer, the picniiTer mav 

 serve his forcst-cooki.(l ilinner on it b\- some iiKiunt.'iin 

 stream. It is then thrown .aside, and a new one lal<es its 

 place ne.xt d;iy. 



There .are no statistics showing the num1)er nf smh 

 pl.ites in.iniif;u'tnred, but they are nnmliered |i\- mil- 

 lions, and ni.iple furnishes a large part of the materi.il. 



>i:ii I'ok wiiiua. Ri.MS 



per cent of tlie woud used for this purpose is of this species. 



iSeech and liirch supply nearly all the rest. .\Ia|ile logs 

 of the finest quality pass through machines anil come 

 out ready for the user. The first step in the process is 

 to peel the lug in long, broad ribbons of veneer, by the 

 s.ame method as the \eneer is cut that goes to the furni- 

 ture maker. The veneer is steamed, cut in discs and 

 pressed in shape; and the work is done. 



Maple contributes largely to kitchen and pantry ware, 

 like vegetable cutters, stompers, pastry boards, rolling 

 pins and car\ed trays and dishes. It is a choice wood 

 for such wares because of its sanitary qualities. It is 

 easily kept clean. The surface remains smooth because 

 it is so h.ard that it will not readlv dent or bruise. 



Miscia.r..\NKous 



The princijial places filled 1)\ maple in \ehicle making 

 are as axles for heavy wagons, runners and frames for 

 sleds and sleighs and frames for bodies of buggies, car- 

 riages ;ind antnmnbiles. .\s an a.xle wood it is stronger 

 than oak and compares favorabh- with hickor\- ; but if 

 subjecteil to jiressure beyond its aljilit\- to sustain, or 

 if ciught by a sudden jolt or jar, it is liable to snap 

 much more suddenl\ than oak or hickorw It is more 

 brittle than they, and if it breaks, it breaks sudileiily and 

 vvithout warning in the way of preliminary bending. 

 Forty-nine woods are reported in the \ehicle industry, 

 and only four in larger amounts than ma|ile. Tliey are 

 hickory, oak, yellow poplar and ash. 



The em])loyment of m.iple in m.aking lixture> for 



